Sleep apnoea is a very common condition, but one which is unfortunately very difficult to diagnose and which as a result is often suffered for years at a time before sufferers are finally diagnosed. The disorder is characterised by pauses in breathing which can occur up to sixty times an hour. The pauses happen because the tissue around the airway collapses and there is insufficient muscle tone to hold the windpipe open. Pauses in the breathing, lasting up to a minute at a time cause oxygen levels in the blood to drop and carbon dioxide levels to rise. This in turn causes the heart to beat faster and possibly irregularly, perhaps even stopping for several seconds. The blood pressure also increases. After a minute or more, the brain realises that the body is in trouble and drags the sleeping sufferer into a shallower state of sleep to restore breathing. However, the sufferer rarely actually wakes up and is therefore unaware of this process occurring.
Sleep apnoea can affect anyone of any age although certain people are more likely to have the disease. For example, it affects more men than women and those people who are overweight are more likely to suffer. People with large tongues and large neck measurements are more likely to have sleep apnoea. It is most prevalent in people over the age of forty, but children can still be affected. In very young children, sleep apnoea is associated with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)and in older children it is associated with being overweight. Snoring is widely accepted as an indicator of sleep apnoea, although it is important to remember that 40 per cent of adults snore. Therefore it is possible to snore and not have sleep apnoea, but unlikely that someone would have sleep apnoea without snoring.
If you are concerned you may be suffering from sleep apnoea then you should contact a professional who can help with your diagnosis. Sleep apnoea can be improved with lifestyle changes so if you are concerned you have sleep apnoea, it is worth investigating and making the appropriate lifestyle changes.